Quiz: Does your team suffer from social loafing?

If your team struggles to get things done, you might be accused of sleeping on the job. But the more likely scenario is that your practice is suffering from social loafing, a phenomenon in which individuals in groups lose their sense of personal responsibility and make less effort to achieve a goal than when they work alone. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions below, you're probably experiencing social loafing.

Monica Dixon Perry, CVPM

Take a moment to examine yourself:

Do you find yourself letting others do the "dirty work" when you're available to pitch in?

Do you fail to give your all because you feel unmotivated and underappreciated?

Are you confused about what's expected of you?

Do you find it difficult to please your direct supervisor?

Now think about your fellow team members:

Does it seem like your team gets nothing done even when your practice is fully staffed?

Do employees often fail to adhere to practice policies and protocols?

If there's an error or problem at your practice, is it difficult to figure out who dropped the ball?

How do you stop the loafing? Implement the steps outlined in "Three tips to overcome social loafing."

Monica Dixon Perry, CVPM, is a veterinary management consultant with VMC Inc. in Evergreen, Colo. Send comments to firstline@advanstar.com.